by Ella Edon
Her eyes opened. It had already gone too far to pretend he was no different to her than any other man. But as long as Sally Henson was determined to win him for herself, trying to get near Mr. Brookford would be like a mouse trying to slip past a vicious cat to get to a piece of cheese.
Merope decided that for the rest of the evening she would pretend that nothing at all was amiss and simply enjoy herself at the ball. The summer before, she had very much enjoyed the series of Assembly Balls that had been revived in Birdwell by the Worthington’s. She had hardly sat down for the number of men clambering for her hand to dance. There was no reason why she should not enjoy this ball. It was what she had traveled eight miles for, wasn't it?
She stood up taller and took a couple of steps towards the crowd, which was now mostly inside the ballroom. Merope decided that she would pay no further attention to Mr. Brookford this evening, simply leave him to Sally if that was what he wished – ideally he would be the one to seek her out, and Merope would definitely not chase at Sally’s skirts for her own chance at him.
Instead, she would spend her time at the ball in the company of the other gentlemen who wished to be introduced to her, converse with her, or dance with her.
If that left Mr. Brookford feeling annoyed, Merope would make no apologies. She knew very well that if there was ever a time to provoke a little jealousy, it was now. Nothing got a man's attention better than a woman who feigned disinterest in him while seeming to be interested in another, with every young and eligible man in the county apparently here at Albany House tonight, there should be no lack of opportunity for a determined young woman.
At last, the crowd of people thinned out in the entryway as they finally all moved into the ballroom. Merope took another deep breath and followed them inside, walking with her head held high and wishing she did not feel like a soldier marching into battle against overwhelming odds.
Seated at the far end, the musicians were playing a gentle tune, allowing everyone to come inside and get their bearings before any dancing would begin. The rest of the room was still nearly as crowded as the entryway had been, even though it was considerably larger and some of the guests had gone into the dining room, while others had taken to the seats along the walls of the ballroom. The place was loud with music and echoed conversations of the happy crowd.
Merope could see that many of the guests knew each other, and seemed not to have encountered one another in a long time. She supposed that was to be expected, since Albany House was some eight miles from Birdwell and there was no other town anywhere near it – only the many scattered farms that lay in between.
For a moment, she watched as many old friends greeted one another, and she could see that there was more to throwing this ball than just having a party. It was a way to provide some amusement and respite for the very hardworking folk who kept the country fed and clothed, allowing them to share – if only for an evening – in the wealth and beauty of a place like Albany House.
It was a very pleasant sight, and one which Merope knew she was not likely to see in London. In the city, a ball in a beautiful setting such as this would be meant for the higher classes, not for the simple but successful working folk gathered at Albany. Obviously, Lord and Lady Albany were pleased to hold this event for their countrymen and Merope found herself hoping that they would continue the tradition . . . and thinking if she were ever in a position to do so, she would love to.
She shook herself, changing her thoughts to focus on the ball, and on the young eligible gentlemen who were in attendance. She needed to do all that she could to forget about Sally and James Brookford for the evening so that she could remain pleasant and calm.
She walked slowly through the crowd, looking carefully at the faces to see if there was anyone she already knew, if not, perhaps she could find a man with a handsome face and a kind manner - and ask someone of her acquaintance –for an introduction. If she was lucky, the man she found would be young and handsome enough to provoke at least a little jealousy in James.
As she wandered about the large room, enjoying the sweet sounds of the background melody which the small group of musicians were providing, Merope did not see anyone she recognized. Of course, she could not dance with any man to whom she had not been introduced; it simply was not done, and unlike Sally, Merope would never insult her very kind hosts with such a breach of etiquette.
She was beginning to think she might have to beg Lady Albany for an introduction or two, just to have anyone to dance with at all – and then she saw him.
Far across the room, moving in and out of her line of sight as the guests moved back and forth across the floor, there was a very strong-looking man with very broad shoulders, not much taller than she was. Brown hair, and she knew, brown eyes
It was Daniel Bird.
A slow smile crossed Merope's face. This would be quite perfect. She already knew Daniel, and of course, he knew her.
By offering Daniel a little flirtation tonight, and accepting an invitation from him to dance, Merope would be able to send what she hoped would be a little sting of jealousy towards Mr. James Brookford. She would also be able to give Sally a very good taste of her own medicine, for there was no better way to get back at her than to go after the man she really wanted.
Merope was betting that even though Sally would no doubt prefer Mr. Brookford, she certainly would not want Daniel Bird paying court to any other woman – especially to Merope. Nothing would knock Sally off her game more than that. It served her right for claiming to be fond of Daniel and then spending weeks shamelessly fawning over James Brookford every time she saw him.
She told herself that it would do no harm for her to use Daniel just a little – just for this evening. She had no intention of keeping him and after tonight, Sally could have him back if she wished.
Mr. Brookford would be shown that he was not the only man that Merope Robbins had any hope of catching.
In the back of her mind, Merope knew that she did not want to lose Mr. Brookford. He was a very handsome and successful gentleman who had an effect on her that no other had ever had. Merope wanted what she believed they had together, and the thought of losing the chance of a future with him left her feeling something like panic.
If she wanted to keep that chance alive, she would have to fight with every weapon at her disposal –and this time her weapons would be her pretty dress, sweet smile and a flirtatious, enticing gaze – directed at a different target than the one she hoped to acquire.
Well, Miss Henson, if you think my little encounter with Daniel Bird all those months ago was an attempt at thievery – you have seen nothing at all!
"Good evening, Mr. Bird," she said, walking straight up to him and dropping into a small curtsy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Daniel did not see her at first.
"Mr. Bird," Merope said again, this time with the lightest of touches at his sleeve.
Quickly, he turned, bowing to acknowledge her. "Miss Robbins! I am so pleased to see you. I wondered if I might see you this evening. I heard that you were a houseguest here, with Miss Henson also. I hope you are both enjoying your stay."
Merope curtsied again, smiling politely. "Indeed, we are. Such a lovely home, and Lord and Lady Albany are wonderful hosts."
Though he smiled and was being courteous, Merope noted that his eyes kept looking to the far corner of the room. She followed his gaze – and soon saw why. He was watching Sally, who was beside Mr. Brookford as he spoke to a couple of other guests, Sally seemed enraptured by Mr Brookford’s every word.
Daniel frowned whenever he looked in Sally's direction, yet seemed to be having a difficult refraining from doing so – as if he could not bear not to look, even as distressed as it made him to see her with Mr. Brookford.
So much the better. Perhaps both Mr. Brookford and Mr. Bird would be very nicely put off their balance by the end of this evening.
The music began. Merope looked at Daniel and he smiled at her. "If thi
s dance is not too difficult," he said, "I should be pleased if you would be my partner for it, Miss Robbins."
"I believe this dance is called Nobody Coming to Marry Me," said Merope, with a little laugh. It did seem an apt name. "If so, it is a fairly simple piece, as I might expect that most of them will be."
"Oh, good," said Daniel. He offered his arm, and together, they walked to the center of the room, to the open space where the dancers were lining up, facing each other. They started at the musicians and continued down the center of the room.
She could help but notice that Mr. Brookford and Sally where lined up across from each other as partners just a few spots down from Daniel and Merope. The dance began and as everyone moved through the routine, all four of them would cross paths with each other as the dance progressed.
Neither could Merope fail to notice how very grim and irritated both men looked, though Sally seemed to be delighted. Merope herself had to remember to keep from smiling too much, making certain there was no look of smugness on her face.
After the music ended, the partners all bowed and curtsied to each other. Immediately, Mr. Brookford took the chance to leave the dance floor and move through the ballroom, searching out any guests he may have missed and giving them a proper greeting – but he was not quick enough to evade Sally, who stayed right at his elbow and managed to keep up with him even though the crowd made it difficult for her.
More amusingly, Daniel hurried after Sally and tried his best to keep her in sight. The three of them reminded Merope of the ducks that sometimes followed each other around on the shores of the river, each one trying to stay with the others. She raised her kid-gloved hand up to her mouth to try to hide her expression, as she could not suppress her smile.
When she found an open chair in a far corner, she gratefully sank down into it to relax. So far, the ball had proved to be more enjoyable than she had once feared. Merope could only hope that the rest of the evening would go along as well as this.
James had hoped to enjoy this evening's gathering. It was meant to welcome him home, and he knew his parents had gone to great lengths to invite many guests, and to provide them with a beautiful night. Right at this moment, however, all he could feel was a growing irritation toward the two houseguests that he himself had contrived to be invited: Merope Robbins and Sally Henson.
He had wanted to enjoy a number of dances with Miss Robbins, to spend most of his time with her during the rest of the ball, but he was being doggedly pursued by Miss Henson and did not know what to do about it. He could hardly tell her to stop following him around; it would be terribly rude, even though her behavior in monopolizing him was hardly any better.
James had conceded and asked Miss Henson to be his partner for the first dance, hoping that that might satisfy her, and that she might then move on to other partners after that. The moment the aptly named Nobody Coming to Marry Me was finished, he bowed and moved away just as quickly as he could.
But not quickly enough. Miss Henson stuck to him like a cocklebur and he could get nowhere without her. Well . . . there was one thing that might work.
After searching nearly the whole room, James finally saw Miss Robbins relaxing in a chair in a far corner. He walked to her with Miss Henson still at his heels, but he did his best to pretend she was not there.
He paused in front of Miss Robbins and made her a quick bow. She was always pretty to him, even when wearing plain dresses and an apron when working at her mother's inn, but this evening, in her delicate pink silk with a small ruby necklace on a gold chain at her neck, she was stunning.
Compared to her, the short and round Miss Henson, swathed entirely in white, with a large white feather bobbing and waving above her head, she reminded James of nothing so much as a silly white goose roaming and squawking and pecking her way around the room.
"Miss Robbins," he said, as she slowly turned her head to look up at him. "Would you give me the honor of the next dance?"
She smiled, as though she knew something that he did not. "I am honored, Mr. Brookford. But I must beg to excuse myself, I am quite enjoying my time right here in this corner, meeting old friends, and being introduced to new ones..."
"I – see," he said, a bit uncertainly, for he really did not see at all. Though there were many people sitting and standing near her, in truth she was quite alone, and no one was speaking with her. "Perhaps you have forgotten you did promise me a turn, are you sure you would not give me the next dance? They are starting it right now."
"I believe it's Love and Whiskey," she said, and he nodded. "I do thank you again, Mr. Brookford, but I am not in the habit of stealing men from their partners.” She nodded toward Miss Henson. “Perhaps another set."
"Of course, Miss Robbins. Of course. As host not all my dances are my own by choice, for my parents' sake and our guests tonight . . . but I promise you, I will be back for you."
"Of course, Mr. Brookford."
He turned to go only making a few steps through the crowd before he was pulled into conversation by another group of guests. Miss Henson took the chance to grab hold of his arm again, and get an introduction to those who had stopped him.
Just as he was about to move off through the crowd again, James heard Miss Robbins's voice. "Thank you, Mr. Bird. Of course, I will dance with you."
For a moment, James felt shocked – and then angry. Miss Robbins was clearly perfectly willing to dance. She was just not willing to dance with him, with her host, with the one who had made her his houseguest, with the one who – the one who –
He took hold of Miss Henson's arm and pulled her with him to the dance floor, following not far behind Miss Robbins and Mr. Bird, and she hurried to keep up. Soon he and Sally were once again lined up a few spaces down from the two of them.
The dance called Love and Whiskey continued. It was another simple one and the partners were all circling around each other while enjoying both the music. James was aware only of his rising annoyance at the way Daniel Bird frowned at him each time he moved past the man, and James made certain to return the glare every chance he got.
Somewhere along the way, with all of the frantic, last-minute planning for the ball and all the silliness and rivalry between his two female houseguests, those two women had entirely switched their attentions.
Miss Henson, whom James had thought was fond of Daniel Bird, had been hanging all over his own arms ever since arriving the day before. Miss Robbins, whom James thought was at least somewhat fond of him, now seemed to have developed a total lack of interest in him and was all smiles when it came to Daniel Bird.
Love and Whiskey ended. The dancers politely bowed and curtsied to each other. It was clear that Mr. Bird's annoyance was growing, for although he walked with Miss Robbins, his eyes never left Miss Henson – and she now had eyes only for James.
Miss Henson, giggling and happy, clung to James more closely than ever. He saw her glance once at Mr. Bird and then quickly look up at James and smile, and he wondered if she knew she seemed to only be irritating both of them.
Only once did Miss Henson's face cloud over, and that was when she glanced at Miss Robbins, as the tall slim blonde in the pink gown walked past on the arm of Mr. Bird. Miss Robbins was casually laughing and speaking with him as though they were a long-established couple.
It was impossible to be sure whether the affections of these two young women had changed, or whether they were simply attempting to make their chosen men jealous in an effort to gain more attention from them. They might even be doing this, James knew, in an effort to speed up a proposal.
Provoking jealousy was a favorite game among women. He had seen it and been the target of it before. James would not be shocked to know that Miss Henson was engaging in it, but had not thought that Miss Robbins would do the same.
"The Gallop! The Gallop!" called the dance master, and several couples hurried over to line up at the dance floor.
Standing not far from the wide doorway that led out of the ballroom, Jam
es glanced down at the ever-present Miss Henson. "The Gallop is rather more difficult than the other dances. Since you and I have already danced together twice, perhaps you would like to – "
He paused, for walking in their direction were Mr. Bird and Miss Robbins. They seemed to be working their way through the crowd of guests on their way out of the ballroom, but suddenly stopped when they found themselves in front of James and Miss Henson.
"Miss Robbins," said James, with a bow. "Will you dance The Gallop with me?"
"Miss Henson," said Daniel with a bow, not to be outdone. "Will you dance – "
